Automated form layout based upon usage patterns

• US 9,275,029 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Padgett, Samuel G., Rella, Sreedhar, Speicher, Steven K., Tabb, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faber, David
• Application Number:
  US12/629,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 715221-223, 715/255, 29221-223, 292/55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

Historical form usage information for a group of fields associated with a graphical user interface (GUI) form is analyzed with a computer processor. Usage characteristics for each of the group of fields associated with the GUI form is indentified within the historical form usage information. The GUI form is automatically changed based upon the identified usage characteristics for each of the group of fields. The changed GUI form is displayed on a display of the computing device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing, at a computing device in response to a form access event generated by the computing device, historical form input field usage information of a plurality of input fields associated with a graphical user interface (GUI) form referenced by the form access event;

identifying historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information;

automatically changing the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields by partitioning a subset of the plurality of input fields identified with higher usage characteristics relative to another subset of the plurality of input fields into a new form within a new tabbed portion of the GUI form;

displaying the changed GUI form comprising the new form within the new tabbed portion on a display of the computing device;

graphically highlighting at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form with a displayed indication of the identified historical usage characteristics of the at least one of the plurality of input fields, comprising;

graphically highlighting, within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, the at least one of the plurality of input fields corresponding to detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time; and

where the new form within the new tabbed portion of the GUI form further comprises a set of selectable options that allow a user to select between reorganizing the subset of the plurality of input fields within the new form according to historical input field usage analysis of the user and historical input field usage analysis of a group of form users within which the user is a member and further comprising;

identifying the group of form users within which the user is the member associated with the subset of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form;

prioritizing the subset of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form for the identified group of form users; and

reorganizing the subset of the plurality of input fields within the new form responsive to different user selections of the set of selectable options within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the GUI form.

2. The method of claim 1, where analyzing, at the computing device in response to the form access event generated by the computing device, the historical form input field usage information of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form referenced by the form access event comprises:

identifying, via the computing device, information entry events associated with each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information;

summing, for each of the plurality of input fields, the identified information entry events associated with that input field; and

where;

identifying the historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information comprises associating a rank with each of the plurality of input fields based upon a quantity of the summed information entry events associated with each of the plurality of input fields; and

automatically changing the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises automatically changing the GUI form based upon the rank associated with each of the plurality of input fields.

3. The method of claim 1, where automatically changing the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises:

changing a layout of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields.

4. The method of claim 1, where automatically changing the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises:

prioritizing the subset of the plurality of input fields with the higher usage characteristics within the GUI form;

repositioning a display location for the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form; and

changing an order of input fields within the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields based upon relative priorities of the input fields within the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields.

5. The method of claim 1, where automatically changing the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises:

applying a form change rule to the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form; and

automatically changing the GUI form based upon the applied form change rule.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying, via the computing device, one of a form definition and executable code associated with the GUI form to operate based upon the automatically changed GUI form; and

where automatically changing the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises one of rendering the GUI form using the modified definition and executing the modified executable code associated with the GUI form.

7. The method of claim 1, where graphically highlighting, within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, the at least one of the plurality of input fields corresponding to the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time comprises one of:

numerically identifying, as a displayed numerical graphical icon associated with the at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, an indication of the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields; and

changing emphasis of the graphical highlighting of the at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form in response to detecting changes to the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time.

8. A system, comprising:

a display; and

a processor programmed to;

analyze, via the processor in response to a form access event generated by the processor, historical form input field usage information of a plurality of input fields associated with a graphical user interface (GUI) form referenced by the form access event;

identify historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information;

automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields by partitioning a subset of the plurality of input fields identified with higher usage characteristics relative to another subset of the plurality of input fields into a new form within a new tabbed portion of the GUI form;

display the changed GUI form comprising the new form within the new tabbed portion on the display;

graphically highlight at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form with a displayed indication of the identified historical usage characteristics of the at least one of the plurality of input fields, comprising the processor being programmed to;

graphically highlight, within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, the at least one of the plurality of input fields corresponding to detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time; and

where the new form within the new tabbed portion of the GUI form further comprises a set of selectable options that allow a user to select between reorganizing the subset of the plurality of input fields within the new form according to historical input field usage analysis of the user and historical input field usage analysis of a group of form users within which the user is a member and where the processor is further programmed to;

identify the group of form users within which the user is the member associated with the subset of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form;

prioritize the subset of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form for the identified group of form users; and

reorganize the subset of the plurality of input fields within the new form responsive to different user selections of the set of selectable options within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the GUI form.

9. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to analyze, via the processor in response to the form access event generated by the processor, the historical form input field usage information of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form referenced by the form access event, the processor is programmed to:

identify information entry events associated with each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information;

sum, for each of the plurality of input fields, the identified information entry events associated with that input field; and

where;

in being programmed to identify the historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information, the processor is programmed to associate a rank with each of the plurality of input fields based upon a quantity of the summed information entry events associated with each of the plurality of input fields; and

in being programmed to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields, the processor is further programmed to automatically change the GUI form based upon the rank associated with each of the plurality of input fields.

10. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields, the processor is further programmed to:

change a layout of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields.

11. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields, the processor is further programmed to:

prioritize the subset of the plurality of input fields with the higher usage characteristics within the GUI form;

reposition a display location for the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form; and

change an order of input fields within the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields based upon relative priorities of the input fields within the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields.

12. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields, the processor is further programmed to:

apply a form change rule to the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form; and

automatically change the GUI form based upon the applied form change rule.

13. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further programmed to:

modify one of a form definition and executable code associated with the GUI form to operate based upon the automatically changed GUI form; and

where, in being programmed to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields, the processor is further programmed to one of render the GUI form using the modified definition and execute the modified executable code associated with the GUI form.

14. The system of claim 8, where, in being programmed to graphically highlight, within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, the at least one of the plurality of input fields corresponding to the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time, the processor is programmed to one of:

numerically identify, as a displayed numerical graphical icon associated with the at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, an indication of the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields; and

change emphasis of the graphical highlighting of the at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form in response to detecting changes to the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to;

analyze, at the computer in response to a form access event generated by the computer, historical form input field usage information of a plurality of input fields associated with a graphical user interface (GUI) form referenced by the form access event;

identify historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information;

automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields by partitioning a subset of the plurality of input fields identified with higher usage characteristics relative to another subset of the plurality of input fields into a new form within a new tabbed portion of the GUI form;

display the changed GUI form comprising the new form within the new tabbed portion on a display of the computer;

graphically highlight at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form with a displayed indication of the identified historical usage characteristics of the at least one of the plurality of input fields, comprising computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to;

graphically highlight, within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, the at least one of the plurality of input fields corresponding to detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time; and

where the new form within the new tabbed portion of the GUI form further comprises a set of selectable options that allow a user to select between reorganizing the subset of the plurality of input fields within the new form according to historical input field usage analysis of the user and historical input field usage analysis of a group of form users within which the user is a member and further comprising computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to;

identify the group of form users within which the user is the member associated with the subset of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form;

prioritize the subset of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form for the identified group of form users; and

reorganize the subset of the plurality of input fields within the new form responsive to different user selections of the set of selectable options within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the GUI form.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, where the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to analyze, at the computer in response to the form access event generated by the computer, the historical form input field usage information of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form referenced by the form access event comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to identify information entry events associated with each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information;

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to sum, for each of the plurality of input fields, the identified information entry events associated with that input field; and

where;

the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to identify the historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form within the historical form input field usage information comprises computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to associate a rank with each of the plurality of input fields based upon a quantity of the summed information entry events associated with each of the plurality of input fields; and

the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the rank associated with each of the plurality of input fields.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, where the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to change a layout of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, where the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to prioritize the subset of the plurality of input fields with the higher usage characteristics within the GUI form;

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to reposition a display location for the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields within the GUI form; and

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to change an order of input fields within the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields based upon relative priorities of the input fields within the prioritized subset of the plurality of input fields.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, where the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to apply a form change rule to the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields associated with the GUI form; and

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the applied form change rule.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to modify one of a form definition and executable code associated with the GUI form to operate based upon the automatically changed GUI form; and

where the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to automatically change the GUI form based upon the identified historical usage characteristics for each of the plurality of input fields further comprises computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to one of render the GUI form using the modified definition and execute the modified executable code associated with the GUI form.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, where the computer readable program code configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to graphically highlight, within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, the at least one of the plurality of input fields corresponding to the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time comprises one of:

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to numerically identify, as a displayed numerical graphical icon associated with the at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form, an indication of the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields; and

computer readable program code configured to cause the computer to change emphasis of the graphical highlighting of the at least one of the plurality of input fields within the new form within the new tabbed portion of the displayed changed GUI form in response to detecting changes to the detected frequency of use of the at least one of the plurality of input fields over time.